Mary Landershttp://onlineathens.com/do/not/override/panel/taxonomy/term/17170/2
enWhales returning to Georgia to give birth http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-12-19/whales-returning-georgia-give-birth
<p>SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The first right whale sighting of the season was a twofer.</p>
<p>Flying 16 miles east of Cumberland Island on Dec. 13, researchers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spotted not only the first whale but also the first calf.</p>
<p>The mother whale has no nickname, unlike many right whales. She's just number 2145, identified by the unique pattern of white markings on her head. Researchers do know, though, the 24-year-old female is an experienced mama, having given birth at least four times before.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-12-19/whales-returning-georgia-give-birth" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersFri, 19 Dec 2014 18:00:34 +0000Mary Landers100670 at http://onlineathens.comWildlife Center gets creative to keep animals coolhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-07-11/wildlife-center-gets-creative-keep-animals-cool
<p>SAVANNAH | It's not the heat. Or the humidity.</p>
<p>It's the fur coats.</p>
<p>They don't come off here, no matter how high the mercury. So for wolves, cougars and bobcats to stay cool when Savannah swelters, keepers at Oatland Island Wildlife Center have to get creative.</p>
<p>For Shanti the cougar that means frequent hosings. Not your typical scaredy cat when it comes to water, Shanti loves getting wet. As animal care technician Susan Inman picked up a hose Wednesday morning, the nearly 2-year-old cougar romped toward her, like a kid chasing the ice cream truck.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-07-11/wildlife-center-gets-creative-keep-animals-cool" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersFri, 11 Jul 2014 16:19:21 +0000Mary Landers88917 at http://onlineathens.comSavannah's iconic live oaks are treated, trimmedhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-21/savannahs-iconic-live-oaks-are-treated-trimmed
<p>SAVANNAH | The nearly 400 live oaks that line Wormsloe's mile-and-a-half-long entrance form the very picture of Savannah.</p>
<p>"If you walk around downtown Savannah, you can't go into a studio where there aren't paintings or photos of this drive," said Wormsloe State Historic Site Manager Jason Allison.</p>
<p>This month, those icons are getting a trim. Arborists have examined each of the trees, which are numbered with small metal tags, and drawn up individual treatment plans. The aim is to remove dead limbs both for the trees' health and for visitors' safety.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-21/savannahs-iconic-live-oaks-are-treated-trimmed" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSat, 21 Jun 2014 16:52:08 +0000Mary Landers87635 at http://onlineathens.comTiger sharks make tracks off Georgia, South Carolina coastshttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-15/tiger-sharks-make-tracks-georgia-south-carolina-coasts
<p>SAVANNAH | Move over, Mary Lee.</p>
<p>Local tiger sharks are upstaging this great white shark, who, like them, frequents the waters around Savannah and has a tracking device that proves it.</p>
<p>Miss Michalove, an 11-footer who weighs in at 650 pounds, pinged in eight miles up Brunswick's Gibson Creek on a recent Sunday, nearly reaching Interstate 95. Al, a 9-foot, 250-pound immature male, made a beeline south just off Tybee at the end of May.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-15/tiger-sharks-make-tracks-georgia-south-carolina-coasts" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSun, 15 Jun 2014 15:58:14 +0000Mary Landers87141 at http://onlineathens.comVisitors get close to cougars at new exhibithttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-05-31/visitors-get-close-cougars-new-exhibit
<p>SAVANNAH | Hide and seek has never been so exciting.</p>
<p>It used to be that visitors to Oatland Island Wildlife Center could look high and low for the two captive cougars and still walk away disappointed. Both cats, geriatric half siblings, tended to hide out of sight.</p>
<p>Not now. Not only is there a new cat in town, but a new exhibit allows people to go nose to nose with the playful feline.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-05-31/visitors-get-close-cougars-new-exhibit" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSat, 31 May 2014 15:50:23 +0000Mary Landers86131 at http://onlineathens.comFirm implicated in Ogeechee River fish kill purchasedhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-05-10/firm-implicated-ogeechee-river-fish-kill-purchased
<p>SAVANNAH | King America Finishing, the company at the heart of a massive fish kill in 2011, has been sold to Spartanburg, S.C.-based Milliken &amp; Co.</p>
<p>Milliken announced Friday it had acquired King America’s parent company, Westex Inc. The news was made public after hourly meetings Friday with the Screven County facility’s 500 employees.</p>
<p>The textile processing facility will continue to be subject to the permits and consent agreement already in place with King America Finishing.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-05-10/firm-implicated-ogeechee-river-fish-kill-purchased" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSat, 10 May 2014 15:13:56 +0000Mary Landers84538 at http://onlineathens.comCopperheads appear on rise as kingsnakes decline http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-03-07/copperheads-appear-rise-kingsnakes-decline
<p>SAVANNAH, Ga. — As kingsnakes decline in localized areas of the Southeast, the abundance of one of their common meals — the venomous copperhead — seems to be increasing.<br /><br />Researchers collected ongoing snake survey data to look for changes in population sizes of the two species in the Southeast, publishing their findings in the journal Herpetologica.<br /></p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-03-07/copperheads-appear-rise-kingsnakes-decline" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersFri, 07 Mar 2014 12:22:40 +0000Mary Landers79406 at http://onlineathens.comCoastal Georgia tree 'ecologically extinct'http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-03-02/coastal-georgia-tree-ecologically-extinct
<p>SAVANNAH | Not long ago, healthy redbay trees were easy to find in coastal Georgia. Related to the avocado, these evergreens grew 45 feet tall, with black berries that fed songbirds and aromatic leaves that lent their flavor to traditional gumbo.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-03-02/coastal-georgia-tree-ecologically-extinct" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSun, 02 Mar 2014 15:59:13 +0000Mary Landers79016 at http://onlineathens.comUGA breaks ground on Savannah area research sitehttp://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-12-02/uga-breaks-ground-savannah-area-research-site
<p>A groundbreaking Monday for the University of Georgia Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe Plantation signalled the expanding focus on research at this iconic Savannah site. </p>
<p>Wormsloe, located on the Isle of Hope, is a “living environmental laboratory” as well as a repository of history, said Daniel Nadenicek, dean of the UGA College of Environment and Design. </p>
<p>“The inherent beauty of this small campus will inspire innovation and promote new research and teaching partnerships,” he said.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-12-02/uga-breaks-ground-savannah-area-research-site" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-12-02/uga-breaks-ground-savannah-area-research-site#commentsUGALocal NewsMary LandersTue, 03 Dec 2013 01:16:05 +0000Mary Landers72793 at http://onlineathens.comBarge of chicken cages is Georgia's newest ocean reefhttp://onlineathens.com/national-news/2013-11-29/barge-chicken-cages-georgias-newest-ocean-reef
<p>SAVANNAH — A hopper barge laden with chicken cages became Georgia’s newest artificial reef when the Department of Natural Resources sank it about 10 miles off Tybee Nov. 18.</p>
<p>“It’s going to make great habitat,” said January Murray, who manages the DNR reef program. “It’s a long and tall piece of metal material. That is what fish love. Encrusting organisms will attach to the barge and coat it. Fish will flock to it, where they can shelter, feed and reproduce. Now they have a home; it’s like if you build it they will come, and they do.”</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/national-news/2013-11-29/barge-chicken-cages-georgias-newest-ocean-reef" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://onlineathens.com/national-news/2013-11-29/barge-chicken-cages-georgias-newest-ocean-reef#commentsNational NewsMary LandersSat, 30 Nov 2013 02:50:37 +0000Mary Landers72599 at http://onlineathens.comBarge of chicken cages is Georgia's newest ocean reef http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2013-11-29/barge-chicken-cages-georgias-newest-ocean-reef
<p>SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A hopper barge laden with chicken cages became Georgia's newest artificial reef when the Department of Natural Resources sank it about 10 miles off Tybee Nov. 18.<br /><br />"It's going to make great habitat," said January Murray, who manages the DNR reef program. "It's a long and tall piece of metal material. That is what fish love. Encrusting organisms will attach to the barge and coat it. Fish will flock to it, where they can shelter, feed and reproduce. Now they have a home; it's like if you build it they will come, and they do."<br /></p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2013-11-29/barge-chicken-cages-georgias-newest-ocean-reef" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersFri, 29 Nov 2013 14:30:07 +0000Mary Landers72566 at http://onlineathens.comPygmy whale stranded on Jekyll Island euthanizedhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-11-13/pygmy-whale-stranded-jekyll-island-euthanized
<p>A pygmy sperm whale was stranded alive on Jekyll Island last month.</p>
<p>The animal was euthanized and a subsequent examination showed its digestive tract was blocked with two pieces of plastic sheeting, said Clay George, wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.</p>
<p>The nearly 11-foot long whale, a male, also tested positive for morbillivirus, a pathogen responsible for an unusually high number of dolphin deaths on the East Coast this year. More tests of the whale’s tissues will help determine whether the virus contributed to its death.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-11-13/pygmy-whale-stranded-jekyll-island-euthanized" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersThu, 14 Nov 2013 02:45:51 +0000Mary Landers71384 at http://onlineathens.comResearch station turning into botanical gardenhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-10-26/research-station-turning-botanical-garden
<p>SAVANNAH — With a giant bamboo maze and a new visitors and education center in the works, the Bamboo Farm is morphing into a premier botanical garden.</p>
<p>"A botanical garden is ultimately a zoo for plants," said Jamie Burghardt, horticulture coordinator. "It's about connecting people with plants and nature."</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-10-26/research-station-turning-botanical-garden" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSun, 27 Oct 2013 00:20:49 +0000Mary Landers69859 at http://onlineathens.comFish in Ogeechee River rebounding after fish killhttp://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-10-13/fish-ogeechee-river-rebounding-after-fish-kill
<p>On the Ogeechee River, this year’s sopping wet spring and summer helped fish populations rebound after the devastating fish kill of 2011, but not everyone is planning their fish fry yet.</p>
<p>Rain had the Ogeechee spilling out of its banks, giving small fish the chance to grow in swampy areas. As the river contracted, the expanded fish population has become trapped in the smaller area. It’s exactly what fisheries supervisor Tim Barrett expected with a break in a long dry spell.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-10-13/fish-ogeechee-river-rebounding-after-fish-kill" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSun, 13 Oct 2013 20:42:14 +0000Mary Landers68801 at http://onlineathens.comRefuge struggles with people feeding alligators http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-09-14/refuge-struggles-people-feeding-alligators
<p>SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Marshmallows, chicken nuggets and french fries killed a 10-foot alligator at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge last month.<br /><br />It didn't choke on these goodies or develop heart disease. But the animal did have to be caught and killed after repeated feedings got it too comfortable around people, which made it a threat.<br /><br />"A fed gator is a dead gator," said Jane Griess, project leader at the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex.<br /></p>
<p><a href="http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-09-14/refuge-struggles-people-feeding-alligators" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Local NewsMary LandersSat, 14 Sep 2013 13:50:50 +0000Mary Landers66282 at http://onlineathens.com